Term 4, Week 9, 2023 30 Nov 2023

In the past week we have been incredibly busy with PAF Rehearsals, preparations for Presentation Evening, an ELC Picnic, a very sweet Nativity Play in Junior School, the Year 3 and Year 4 production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and the Senior School Swimming Carnival (Congratulations to Findlay!).

Next week, our Year 11 students will attend their Leadership Camp at Melbourne University. This unique experience is designed to equip our young leaders with skills and self-assurance as they transition into their VCE year. The workshops will not only foster personal growth, create connections and build confidence in self, but also enhance our students’ abilities to lead both within and beyond the classroom.

At Strathcona, we recognise that leadership is not confined to titles or positions, it is a quality that resides within each and every one of us. All members of our community have their own leadership potential and we will approach 2024 with a collective commitment to making a positive impact, whether big or small, in our School, our community, and the wider world.

Of course, 2024 is the year to make impact, as it is our Centenary year. A very exciting year with a new principal, Lorna Beegan, to herald in our future years. This milestone of a hundred years is a testament to the unwavering strong support and connection of our community over the past century. We are all excited to experience a year filled with special events and celebrations that honour our rich history and set the stage for our future of continued excellence. We have just opened registrations for our Gala Evening, “A Century of Brilliance”, in March next year and tickets are selling quickly. To avoid any disappointment, make sure you book now through the link within this newsletter.

Our Early Years Centre from Three-Year-Old to Year 1 continues to take shape in Scott Street and we are looking forward to introducing our youngest students to their new learning and play spaces next year.

As this is our last newsletter for 2023, I wish you well and hope that this festive season is filled with joy, laughter, and moments of shared warmth with loved ones. Have a safe and relaxing Christmas break and we look forward to reuniting in the new year for what promises to be an extraordinary centenary celebration.

Tracy Herft
Acting Principal

Of course though, this week is all about Presentation Night and PAF. The students have been working tirelessly in their Houses to get their performances ready. Our Leaders have done a remarkable job, rallying their troops with high energy and organisation. We are looking forward to a fantastic event tomorrow evening and I want to thank all the students for their dedication and hard work this week. A huge thanks must also be given to all of the Strathcona staff for their efforts in organising and making the EOYP run smoothly. It really is a joyous time for students in our school, but it only happens due to the dedication of our staff.

Finally, please do ensure that you and your daughters have read the information about Presentation Night and PAF on Maple carefully. The logistics for this event are large and it is important that all students and families are aware of both the day and night logistics for tomorrow. Thank you for your support in managing all the communications from the School. I know this time of year can feel hectic and the school routines of the year seemed turned on their head.

We are looking forward to seeing you tomorrow evening.

Amber Sowden
Acting Deputy Principal

An upcoming highlight on our school calendar is the much-anticipated Academic Awards and Performing Arts Night. This event not only celebrates the academic achievements of our students but also recognises the talents of all our students through, choreographing, dancing, singing and collectively demonstrating outstanding performances. As John Dewey once said, "Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself." This sentiment encapsulates the ethos of our school, where we believe that every student's journey is a profound and transformative learning experience.

Throughout the year our classrooms have been vibrant spaces of curiosity, connection and exploration. This year, we've witnessed the incredible fruits of hard work and dedication. Each student's journey is a testament to the power of curiosity in education, a force that propels meaningful learning and personal development. At the heart of our success lies the strong and nurturing relationship between our dedicated teachers and their students. Our teachers continue to display not only their teaching expertise but that they are mentors for our students, guiding each other towards academic achievement and personal growth.

To our families who have been steadfast supporters throughout the year, we extend our heartfelt gratitude. Your commitment to your daughters' education has been integral to their achievements. As we approach the holiday break, we wish each family a restful and joyous time together - a time for relaxation, laughter, and moments of reflection.

Looking ahead to the new year, let us carry the spirit of collaboration and enthusiasm forward. Together, we will continue to foster a love for learning, inspire personal growth, and empower our students to reach new heights. We are also eagerly anticipating the celebration of our school's 100 years, embracing a century of educational excellence with further excitement in learning.

Kara Baxter
Dean of Teaching and Learning

This morning all of the students in the Junior School met their new teacher and other members of their class for 2024. You will find a 'meet the teacher' sheet in your daughter's diary. I hope you enjoy reading this together to learn a little more about their teacher for 2024.

Thank you once again for all of your support this year and I hope that you have a wonderful and safe Christmas.

Regards,

Lisa Miller
Head of Junior School

Head of Gilbert - Georgia Cleeland
What is your role at Strathcona?
I teach senior History and senior English, I have been the Senior Mentor for Gilbert for 3 years, I'm going to be Head of House for Gilbert 2024, I have been PLT Leader for the last two years.

How long have you been at Strathcona?
This is my 4th year at Strathcona.

A fun fact about you?
I re-train race horses and compete them.

What is your favourite house-related activity?
I love PAF!

What are you most looking forward to as Head of House?
I'm looking forward to working more closely with the girls and supporting all of their endeavours and house events.

Head of Findlay - Hannah Pearce
What is your role at Strathcona?
Head of Findlay, International Student Coordinator and EAL/English teacher.

How long have you been at Strathcona?
I started in 2021, so just finishing up my 3rd year.

A fun fact about you?
I’m proud to be an Adelaide girl!

What is your favourite house-related activity?
Definitely swimming carnival. The energy is always fantastic.

What are you most looking forward to as Head of House?
getting to know all of the Findlay members and being a part of their Strathy experience.

Last Saturday was the eleventh of November, and Remembrance Day. Remembrance Day is a memorial day celebrated in several different countries including the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia. It is celebrated on the eleventh day of November because that is the day World War 1 ended.

Here in Australia, we hold a minute of silence on the eleventh hour to remember those who died in wars, battles and peace conflicts. This is the time of day that the guns of the Western Front stopped firing after four years of continuous fighting. World War 1 ended on the eleventh hour of the eleventh of November, 1918. We also say ‘Lest we forget’ meaning we will not forget and in this case, we will not forget those who died or participated in battles, wars and peace conflicts. All around the world, poppies are the symbol of this day as well as being a symbol of remembrance. This is because poppies were among the first flora to grow back in the Flanders Fields in Belgium. You may have heard of the poem ‘In Flanders Fields’, a famous war poem written by a Canadian physician Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae. He wrote it after World War 1.

Remembrance Day was originally called Armistice Day - as armistice means a truce - but after World War 2, the United Kingdom and Australia renamed it Remembrance Day to commemorate those who lost their lives in both wars. It is estimated that around 9.7 million military personnel died during World War 1, and 10 million civilians. It is estimated that around a third of these dead were left with no grave. At the Canberra War Memorial, they have the buried remains of an unknown soldier - meaning someone who could not be identified after their death. Remembrance Day also ties in with the unknown soldier as ‘He is all of them and he is one of us’, meaning he represents all the soldiers who died.

People from many countries spend Remembrance Day commemorating and remembering those who have died in battles, wars, fights and peace conflicts - even if they did not personally know anyone at all. Veterans and soldiers may participate in a ceremony such as the official Australian Remembrance Day ceremony at the war memorial in Canberra.

Remembrance Day is a very important day to many people from all over the world as they join together to remember the dead.

Lest we forget.

Chantal Lowrie
Year 7

We then moved up to the Year 7 Foyer for a brief introduction and the students met our Acting Principal Ms Tracy Herft, our Dean of Teaching and Learning Ms Kara Baxter and our Dean of Students Ms Megan Boyd.

The students then connected with their future class groups and Middle Years Mentors and spent some time in their House groups. Following recess, the students then set out travelling around the school to engage in five different subject rotations and collected stamps in their Orientation Passport at each activity.

At the end of the day, we came back together as a group for a Q & A session with our current Year 7 Class Leaders, where the students were able to ask any last-minute questions.

We are looking forward to welcoming the Class of 2029 back for our Year 7 Launch Day on Wednesday 31st January next year!

Shelley Lipshut
Year 7 Coordinator

At the beginning of the process, our small group had to decide on a specific target area in relation to different Melbourne-based issues. Collectively, after many debates we decided on the impact area ‘healthy and climate resilient communities’ as we wished to pick a topic that both helps our environment and the future of our local community. The next phase included to research and evaluate charities that fall under this impact area. After much deliberation we decided on Weenthunga, a charity for young Indigenous female Australians, Courage to Care, a charity devoted to reducing bullying and prejudice towards others, and lastly, the Marine Mammal Foundation, which strives to preserve our climate and educate the younger generation about marine life and keeping our oceans healthy. The charities were kind enough to spare their time during lunch to answer our questions about their organisations and their grant proposals over a virtual call and this was very insightful for our final decision.

Next, we decided to raise more money to donate to the charities by creating a fundraiser. After many lunchtimes brainstorming ideas, we finally settled on a ‘Choc Toss’ and an ‘Iced Water Challenge’. Which additionally assisted us in uniting our school community which was overall a highly enjoyable experience. Through this process we raised an extra $500 which was ‘matched’ by the Lord Mayors Charitable Association thereby raising an extra $1000 to donate towards our very deserving charities. We were also extremely lucky to be visited by Paul and Angela Wheelton, entrepreneurs and philanthropists who have donated generously to Strathcona in the past. They shared their experiences with us and helped us gather our thoughts. They were very kind to gift us a further $4000, bringing our funding allocation to $15,000!

We are now coming to a close of this wonderful opportunity as a united group. This week, after having been very impressed with the presentations from Courage to Care and Marine Mammals we decided to allocate them full funding with the remainder to Weenthunga. Overall, we strongly believe this has been a wonderful opportunity to experience the world of philanthropy, grant making and the for-purpose sector and hope that this experience influences lots of young people to live and act generously in the future.

Louise Stuart and Indiana Raffay Butcher
Year 10

The Year 2 students, carrying the script with confidence, took on the mantle of the main characters, while our Year 1 students portrayed endearing shepherds. Their faces lit up with surprise as the Preps, dressed as angels, arrived to share the joyous news of the birth of the Savior, Jesus.

In the spirit of this joyous season, we extend warm wishes to all for a Merry Christmas and a rejuvenating summer break. May this time be filled with peace, love, and cherished moments with your loved ones.

Warm regards,

Bron Arnott
Junior School Chaplain

Strathcona volunteers play a vital role in supporting the community and we are most grateful for their support in so many areas of the School’s life. We thank our volunteers for their contribution to Strathcona. All in all, the Strathcona community is well served by the various committees and sub-groups that work so hard to make our School the success and vibrant place it is.

Please consider supporting Friends of Kayaking fundraising and enjoy 100s of everyday savings!

Entertainment is the easy-to-use App packed with incredible savings of up to 50% off and 2-for-1 offers, so you can save on takeaway, dining, shopping, groceries, gift cards, activities and more!

And what’s even better, 20% of every membership purchased goes to support Strathcona - Friends of Kayaking!

We invite you to come along to the first SFA meeting for the year on Wednesday 31 January 2024 at 7pm in the Conference Room, Senior School Reception. If you attend the meeting, please note there is no obligation to join the Committee.

Year Level Class Representatives are a part of the SFA which supports the School in many ways. Class reps play a vital role in the School community facilitating communication between parents and their year level and the School; assisting in organising social functions and encouraging the parents to attend Strathcona events. If you are interested in being a class rep in 2024, please contact me at jwilson@strathcona.vic.edu.au. A welcome and information evening for class reps is scheduled on Thursday 22 February 2024 at 7pm.

Come along and experience the TeamKids difference:

• Learn new skills and make new friends
• Qualified and REMARKABLE Educators
• Digital detox with our no-screens policy
• Delicious and nutritious morning and afternoon snacks
• CCS-approved care

Head to teamkids.com.au to secure your spot!

• Dates to Diarise in Term 4
• Reminder: VTAC 2024 Upcoming Key Dates
• ANU: Tuckwell Scholarship for 2025
• University Terms
• Speech Pathology and Audiology Degrees in Victoria in 2023
• Snapshot of Kangan Institute in 2023

Please click here for the full edition of Career News.

Xin Chen
Head of Careers and Pathways

Tickets are $25 per person, which includes shared pizzas and a drink on arrival. Additional drinks or snacks can be purchased from the bar. To book please click here.

We hope to see many of you there to toast a successful year and new friendships!

If you have any questions please contact Jane on 0409 886 166 or Bianca on 0439 084 780.

The night promises to be a genuine celebration of the school's glorious history. Attendees will be treated to canapes and drinks on arrival, a delicious 3-course dinner accompanied by a selection of beverages, historical tributes, keynote speakers, live entertainment from The Baker Boys Band and abundant opportunities to connect with old and new friends.